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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. content — happy
  14. drill — a practice
  15. key — in music
  16. drill — army training
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com